Parrent Smith Investigations
is a full service investigative agency. Our cases involve a variety of different
industries and types of investigations. Below are a sampling of case studies
that describe the results we have accomplished for our clients. The cases
on the links below present some of the diverse areas and situations in which
we have provided assistance to clients. If a case study reminds you of a problem
or legal action you are working on, please call us. If you don't see a case
like the one you are involved in, however, that doesn't mean we haven't handled
similar cases. We'd love to hear about your unique case.
- ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH
Summary:
On an environmental case
involving a large international port and an oil company, Parrent Smith investigators
dug deeply and found information dating back to the early 1900s that helped
our client win a favorable settlement of the case. The
full story...
Summary:
In U.S. v Casmalia, a case in which the EPA was suing for funds to be used
for the cleanup of a superfund site, our investigation into the financial
condition of some of the parties who were making de minimus offers helped
our client save significant sums by keeping those defendants in the PRP
pool. (See also, Identifying Assets) The
full story...
Summary:
A Very Large Semiconductor Company was sued under CERCLA for causing groundwater
pollution in Phoenix, Arizona. Our investigators saved the Semiconductor
Company the financial burden of the full clean-up by locating over 250 additional
PRPs (Potentially Responsible Parties) to share in the clean-up.
The
full story...
Summary:
Our client, Caltrans (California
Department of Transportation), was one of the Potentially Responsible Parties
in the clean-up of a seven acre oil recycling facility in Fresno. Caltrans
objected to the size of their share of the clean up initially proposed by
the other PRP's and the EPA. After our investigation of the actual volume
of oil contributed by Caltrans to the site, Caltans' allocation was reduced
by over 60 percent The
full story....
Summary On
a case involving a San Francisco contaminated site, we were able to help
our client develop a larger PRP list through our well-developed interviewing
techniques. This led to a more appropriate allocation of clean-up costs,
saving our client a considerable amount. The
full story...
- ENVIRONMENTAL/TOXIC
TORT
Summary:
Our firm was a lead investigative agency in Newman v. Stringfellow, one
of the largest toxic tort trials in the U.S., with over 3,800 plaintiffs.
By the time this landmark case went to trial, we had helped to substantially
reduce the plaintiff pool. The
full story...
Summary: We were the lead investigators
in a recent San Gabriel Valley groundwater toxic tort, with more than 1200
plaintiffs. As in the Stringfellow case, we were able to provide information
that led to the settlement of many of the cases for greatly reduced dollar
amounts. The
full story...
- EMPLOYMENT
LITIGATION
Summary: In this case, our firm
discovered that the plaintiff in a sexual harassment action not only was
a prostitute, but also had been an actress in at least one porno film. This
information helped the defense reach a quick and mutually acceptable settlement
with the plaintiff, whose attorney had referred to her as a "China Doll".
This case is a colorful example of how employment cases can often be resolved
prior to litigation, once the facts are uncovered. The
full story...
- GENERAL LITIGATION
/ IDENTIFYING ASSETS
Summary: Our firm was hired by
attorneys of the Casmalia Steering Committee representing the one of the
many Potentially Responsible Parties in a lawsuit in which the Environmental
Protection Agency was seeking cleanup settlements from the former owners
of a hazardous waste site. One of the owners was asserting he was broke,
but we were able to find assets he had not disclosed and prove that he had
more than adequate resources to pay his share of the cleanup. This is an
example of the kind of work our firm can provide litigators seeking to identify
undisclosed or hidden assets of a party involved in a lawsuit. The
full story...
- INSURANCE
- WIRE FRAUD
Summary: We handled the investigation
and partial recovery of a $7 million dollar fraud perpetrated on an insurance
company. We were able to provide information and evidence that led to the
arrest of the person behind the scam and recover $3 million so far - the
case is ongoing. It is an example of ways we can help attorneys with insurance,
commercial and other business clients, as well as those involved in special
investigations of a criminal nature. The
full story...
- POLITICAL
/ BUSINESS
Summary: A company that manufactured
emergency cell phones suspected that they might not get the contract they
were bidding on in a Southern California County because of a close friendship
between one of the county supervisors and the owner of a competitive company.
Our firm discovered that the competitive company had asked employees to
make donations to that county supervisor's campaign and then had reimbursed
those donations. This information was turned over to the attorneys for the
company, and the company subsequently won the $20 million dollar contract.
This case is an example of how good investigators can help business clients,
as well as how we can offer support in sensitive political situations. The
full story...
- PRE-LITIGATION
SUPPORT
Summary: Investigative agencies
are not only valuable once litigation begins but can also be very helpful
in determining whether or not to go forward with an action, as the following
example shows. Our clients were two law firms representing a women's rights
organization and several individual plaintiffs who were considering a sex
discrimination suit against a well-known organization. We were able to find
a great deal of evidence regarding the organization and its relationship
to the county in which it was located. The attorneys, however, ultimately
decided they did not have strong enough ground on which to go forward with
the lawsuit. The
full story...
- SPECIAL
INVESTIGATIONS/ WHITE COLLAR CRIME
Summary: A San Francisco shipping
company was concerned about its steeply escalating operating costs. The
company executives felt they were missing about $2.5 million and worried
that they were the possible victims of an internal fraud, although they
had no suspects. They contacted their attorneys, who retained our firm.
We were able to identify the fraud and the employee who had perpetrated
it, as well as locate the bulk of the stolen money. This is an example of
how our firm can help attorneys whose practice involves special investigations
and white-collar crime and those whose clients include a wide range of business
and commercial entities. The
full story...
- SPECIAL
INVESTIGATIONS/ FINDING A SEX-ABUSE VICTIM
Summary:
Our
client asked us to locate a former victim of child sexual abuse 12 years
after the crime took place to determine what happened. The perpetrator was
publicly claiming his innocence on a website. Although we did not have her
name, after several attempts, we located the victim and interviewed her
and her parents. We found that the stories of the victim and her parents
all confirmed the perpetrator's guilt. The victim, who had just begun dealing
with her childhood abuse, welcomed the opportunity to set the record straight.
The
full story...
Northern
California
Nichols
J. Smith, CPP
CA Lic # 5617
41 Sutter Street, Suite 1230 San Francisco, CA 94104
Direct 415-738-2995
Fax 415-358-6877
Toll Free 800-516-2448
nicsmith@psinvestigates.com